Portlaoise

Portlaoise (/pɔːrtˈliːʃ/ port-LEESH), or Port Laoise (Irish pronunciation: [ˌpˠɔɾˠt̪ˠˈl̪ˠiːʃə]), is the county town of County Laois, Ireland. It is in the South Midlands in the province of Leinster.

Portlaoise was the fastest growing of the top 20 largest towns and cities in Ireland from 2011 to 2016. However, the 2022 census shows that the town's population increased by 6.6% to 23,494, which was below the national average of 8%. It is the most populous and also the most densely populated town in the Midland Region, which has a total population of 317,999 at the 2022 census.

It was an important town in the sixteenth century, as the site of the Fort of Maryborough, a fort built by English settlers during the Plantation of Queen's County.

Portlaoise is fringed by the Slieve Bloom mountains to the west and north-west and the Great Heath of Maryborough to the east. It is notable for its architecture, engineering and transport connections. On the national road network, Portlaoise is located 94 km (58 mi) west-southwest from Dublin on the M7, 170 km (106 mi) north-east from Cork on the M8/M7 and 114 km (71 mi) east-northeast from Limerick on the M7.

It was once known for the manufacture of iron and steel buildings, tennis balls, rubber seals, tyres, electrical cabling, and Ireland's first aircraft. Today, Portlaoise is a commercial centre with the economy dominated by the service sector, and a hub of shopping, transport, and events for the surrounding catchment.